Therapeutic apparatus



Oct. 20, 1953` R, BRAND 2,655,915

' THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Filed Oct. 11, 1950 FIG. 2

ATToRmf-x` Patented Oct. 20, 1.953

THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Harry Russell Brand, deceased, late of New York, N. Y., by Emily Mary Ann Brand, executrix,

New York, N. Y.

Application October 11, 1950, Serial No. 189,508

(Cl. 12S-33) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to therapeutic appliances and particularly to an appliance which may be used to treat a patient while in a reclining position and in a relaxed condition, both to effect a mild form of exercise of the body muscles and organs and at the same time to assist the circulation of the blood. The invention is particularly directed to a therapeutic appliance which may be used to advantage in the after treatment of patients recovering from poliomyelitis.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a rocking or oscillating couch or bed upon which the patient may recline in a relaxed position and which can be easily adjusted to oscillate through greater or less ranges of movement and with greater or less frequency.

Other objects, advantages and important features of the invention to which reference has not hereinabove specifically been made will appear hereinafter when the following description and claims are considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a therapeutic appliance embodying the present invention, some of the interior mechanism being shown in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the therapeutic appliance shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an isometric view on a larger scale of the operating mechanism;

Figure 4 is a detail view of an element of the adjusting mechanism;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the oscillating frame, this view being intended to show the dilerent possible points of connection of the link which connects the patient supporting frame to the oscillating mechanism, and

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention the oscillating frame 2, which supports the mattress 4 on which the patient to be treated rests, is shown as provided with trunnions 6 received in bearings in brackets 8 connected to the side walls of the housing or casing I0 which encloses the operating mechanism. This casing ID is supported on casters I2 so that the appliance may easily be moved from place to place.

It will be noted that the casing I0, and particularly the side walls thereof, is so shaped as to permit the oscillation of the frame 2 between the full line position shown in Figure 1 and the dotted line position, the illustrative embodiment of the invention showing a maximum angle of swing of each end of the frame 2 of approximately 45. It will be understood, however, that oscillation through the total angle possible is not necessary and is, of course, not required or desirable for all patients. To this end the connections between the mechanism for producing the oscillations and the oscillating frame 2 have provision for various adjustments to vary the overall angle of swing. As hereinabove suggested there is also provision for adjusting the operation of the mechanism to vary the frequency of the oscillations.

The illustrative mechanism for effecting the oscillation of the frame 2 and thereby the rocking of the patient reclining on the mattress 4 comprises a rocking lever made up of side bars I4 fulcrumed at I6 in a bracket I8, here shown as supported on a section of an I beam 20, the side bars I4 being connected by two crossbars 22 and 24 in which a screw-threaded shaft or lead screw 26 has its bearings, this shaft having a flexible extension through a flexible housing 28 to a. hand wheel 3U mounted upon an end wall of the casing I0, by which wheel 30 the shaft may be turned to effect the adjustment now to be described.

Each of the side bars I4 is provided with a curved slot 32 in which travels a stud 34 carried on one of two blocks 36 making up a carrier or slide for an internally threaded block 38 through which the screw threaded shaft 26 is screwed. Each of the blocks 36 is provided with one half of a Vertical slot 4I) in which the internally threaded block 3B may move vertically as the slide, made up of the blocks 36, is moved along the shaft 26 to vary the length of the lever arm which transmits motion through the link 42 to the oscillating frame 2. It will be seen that the link 42 is pvotally connected at one end to the stud 34 on one of the blocks 36 and at its other end to a pivot 44 located in one of the pivot receiving openings 46 in an angle bar 48 constituting a part of the oscillating frame 2 and located substantially midway between the sides thereof. Movement of the slide made up of the blocks 36 with the internally threaded block 38 is compelled by the flanges 5I! and 52 connected to the ends of the blocks 38 and overlapping the edges of the slot 40.

The other arm of the rocking lever, that is, the arm comprising those parts of the side bars I4 which are on the other side of the fulcrum trunnions I6 from the slide made up of the blocks 36 just described. is connected by links 54 to a crank arn 56 on a shaft 58 between which and the driving shaft 60 is a reduction gear train, not shown in detail, contained in a reduction gear housing 62. The shaft 60 has thereon adjustable cones 64 and 66 adjustable through a hand wheel 68 to constitute a variable speed 5 mechanism, the adjustment of the cones 64 and 66 toward each other increasing the diameter of the V-belt Vpulley thus formed andreducing'the speed of transmission through the V-belt T0 from: the V-belt pulley 12 of fixed diameter. Adjust- 10 ment of the cones 64 and 66 away from each*Y other obviously reduces the diameter-,10ithe-.V-v belt pulley thus provided and increases the speed'v of drive of the shaft 60. 'I1'1e-Vbelt.pulley"l2-a is mounted on the shaft 14 f-'the-elecffrie'meterT 15? 16 and is therefore driven by said motor.

From the foregoing description; it Wil-l .beseem that, by adjustment of the slide made up of blocks 36 along the slots 32, the length of thestroke imparted to the link 42 by each oscillation of 20 the1rocking-lever can.; be varied Thee slotsf32'.V provide for such.adjustmentioi.thestrokeoithe link..42 without substantial:variationinrthe'an-H gular 'positionroflthetframe-:L the. arc-:of thefslotsf 32 being.: substantially. the: arc.l of swing othe -25 link.. 42. r.about itsf pivot 444 in..;tl^le;` position shown.: in'r Figure. 1.v If, however, the' pivotz44belmoved. to .one of the' other; openings;A 461m the anglrbar. 49,11` slight. angular movement of theframe. Z may;v takeV place-.in the: adjustment. Itywi'll; be 30 seenthat, whenthe. parts. are in.A the position;- shoWn in Figure 1, that! thestudi 34ev substantially at the leftLhand-.end ..1ofithe1slotg32, approximately'. the*A maxirrmm.-y oscillation-1.0i:

frame'. 2-1 will. bezobtained.'- Movementgof :the pivot.V 35

34 .toward the. rightI handndzoithe sidi-Wilt obviously reduce this .angle of..oseillaton:.son1e, what since the; lever armzvvhichzactsA uponithe; link42 will be shortened. Assimilar; reduction in the angle .of oscillation: can bes obtained byV 40" stroke of the mechanism is, of course, not so readily made as the adjustment through the hand wheel 30 and is an adjustment that is usually only made when adapting the apparatus to a special patient.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A therapeutic appliance for the purposes set forthh'aving, in combination, ai bed and a supportf therefor on' which said bed is pivotally mounted to rock about a horizontal axis of oscillation substantially midway of its length, mechanisnrin said. support for eiecting the oscillation ofsaidbed, said mechanism including a rocking lever, ,alinleconnecting an arm of said lever with linden sideof said bed at one side of the axis off oscillation`-` thereof, means for effecting therockingofsaid lever, and means for varying thelength of the lever arm between the fulcrum ofrocking lever and the link connection thereto, including a pivot-carrying block, and a guidevvay:v therefor concentric with. the pivotal connection ofthe linkto theunder side of the bed..

block. comprise a lead screwhaving a vertically slidableconnectionwith said block. and aexible.

shaft extending to the outside fofsaid support for turning saidk lead. screw.

EMILYr BRAND',

Eecutrz'x of the Zastwilland testament" of Harry 2.. A therapeutic appliance according. to claim.` 1 inwhich means vfor adjustingthe pivot-carrying. 

